


Alpha Centauri

by bespokenboy



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Actor AU, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 23:45:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3096980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bespokenboy/pseuds/bespokenboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yixing didn't expect to end up on the other side of the red carpet, least of all as Kim Joonmyun's arm candy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alpha Centauri

  
Yixing is by no means a hateful person, but if there's anything he strongly dislikes, it's when people don't get what they deserve. Which is unfortunate because most of Yixing's closest friends, as well as Yixing himself, are people who couldn't quite make their big break. Most of them, Yixing included, had narrowly missed their much-deserved shots at stardom because of mere quirks of fate, or the whims of movie directors, casting agents, and the like.   
  
It's almost ironic that Yixing now makes a living by documenting other people who are living out their dreams. He couldn't quite let go of the idea of a career in show business, which is why he applied for a position at a celebrity gossip magazine after twelve consecutive failed auditions. After a hellish first year as a personal assistant to the chief editor, Yixing was able to land a more coveted position as a photographer. Since his dreams of being a performer will probably never pan out, getting up close and personal to celebrities at red carpet events is the closest Yixing will ever be to becoming a celebrity himself.   
  
If people occasionally forget that celebrities are people too, nobody even acknowledges that paparazzi are human beings. Yixing is just another click and flash in a mob of chaos, hated by celebrities for invading their personal space, hated by fans for discomforting their idols. Yet, Yixing knows for a fact that many of the people who disparage people like him for bothering their heroes are the same people who worship the actual products of his labor.   
  
Preparing for a red carpet event is like gearing for battle. Yixing must mentally and physically brace himself for being manhandled and fighting through the crowd for the perfect shot. Even though Yixing more often than not ends up battered and bruised, none of that matters if he can capture the perfect smile.   
  
People always ask Yixing why he continues with his job if he so clearly dislikes celebrities. But it's really not celebrities he dislikes. He just doesn't like how some people who are the kindest, most hardworking people he knows have to suffer through an entire lifetime of failure and debt, while others gain notoriety merely on the basis of being wealthy and/or attractive. It's nothing personal. It's just unfair.   
  
He can't help but suspect that Kim Joonmyun's supposed "brilliance" has less to do with his actual acting skills and more to do with his status as heir to KIM Industries, the largest weapons manufacturing company in the nation. Nobody ever says anything bad about Kim Joonmyun. Especially when his father established a military-industrial complex with the federal government that basically put the security of the nation in the hands of his company.   
  
With such a powerful family name and a pretty decent face, it wasn't difficult for Joonmyun to land his first starring role. Okay, maybe a bit more than just decent. Yixing acknowledges that Joonmyun's features are “classically handsome”, but he's also pretty sure that anyone who claims otherwise would be kidnapped and held at gunpoint or something.   
  
By principle, Yixing can't quite bring himself to like Joonmyun the way that thousands of people have fallen for the budding actor already. It's not that he has anything personal against him. Yixing just wishes that it could be that easy for his own friends, who are infinitely more talented and hardworking, to live out their own dreams.   
  
One of Yixing's best friends, Wu Yifan, had auditioned for the leading role in  _Alpha Centauri_ , a thrilling space adventure. He was perfect for the part- a stoic astronaut hero with a soft spot for pretty women and fluffy alien puppies. Throughout the auditions and callbacks, it was clear that Yifan was the top choice. In fact, it wasn't until after they had already started filming that Yifan was told that he would be replaced by Kim Joonmyun, an actor even more unknown than Yifan himself. Yifan accepted his fate gracefully, knowing and accepting that this kind of thing happened all the time in show business. But later he found out that the Kim Joonmyun replacing him was the Kim Joonmyun, heir to one of the most powerful families in the country. Yifan ended up jobless, again, and Joonmyun ended up with the starring role in the summer's most widely anticipated film.   
  
Yixing doesn't really like Kim Joonmyun.   
  
The premiere of  _Alpha Centauri_  is the actor's first red carpet event. It’s also the first time that the elusive heir of KIM Industries will be appearing in public. So naturally, Yixing's next raise is at stake when his assignment is to capture an iconic shot of Kim Joonmyun. The competition amongst the paparazzi will most certainly be fierce, but it's nothing Yixing isn't prepared for.   
  
At least that's what Yixing thinks up to the moment he arrives four hours early to the red carpet. Already, there is a flock of paparazzi behind the gates ready to swarm upon the arriving stars, especially Kim Joonmyun. Even though Yixing knows many of the photographers and is even good friends with several of them, they all become enemies the second that the first limousine pulls up. Every one of them is looking for the same thing- the perfect position for the perfect shot. Bruises here and there are nothing compared to the satisfaction of capturing an iconic moment.   
  
There had been much speculation concerning Kim Joonmyun's height. Because of the actor's private nature, there are extremely rare accounts of any public appearances. According to a celebrity height website, he is actually on the shorter side, despite how tall he looks on camera. The account was from an  _Alpha Centauri_  production assistant who also said that Joonmyun had been impossibly polite to everyone on set and frequently treated the cast and crew to lunch or dinner after a long shoot.   
  
By the time Joonmyun's limousine pulls up, Yixing has managed to fight his way to the front section of the throng. The chauffeur steps out and pulls open the passenger door, and suddenly everything slows down to half the speed of life. The door swings open, and chaos erupts as soon as a shiny black oxford steps onto the red carpet. It is followed by the crisp black lines of a slim-fitting tuxedo, and suddenly Joonmyun is standing before the crowd in all of his (surprisingly petite) glory. He smiles shyly and waves at the paparazzi, who are all screaming his name to try and get him to look in their direction. There are even some fans who managed to sneak through, waving pens and posters in his direction.   
  
Joonmyun walks a bit further down the red carpet and stops not far from where Yixing is located. He smiles dazzlingly, but his eyes are surveying the crowd in wonder, as though he is in awe of the crowd gathered before him. Yixing pushes through the mob, ignoring shouts of "asshole!" in order to get closer to the star. He gets jostled around, but as he manages to slip to the front line, there is a particularly hard shove to his back that sends him stumbling...right over the velvet rope barrier and onto the red carpet.   
  
"Sir! Are you okay?"   
  
Yixing blinks, and Joonmyun's face is looming over him, the actor's nose mere inches away from his own. Yixing is curled defensively into a ball with his precious camera tucked in close to his body. It takes a moment for his brain to process that Joonmyun is on his hands and knees, peering into his eyes in concern.   
  
But before Yixing can even absorb the perfect planes of Joonmyun's face, rough hands are pulling him backwards, ready to throw him back into the crowd.   
  
"Hey! Stop!" Joonmyun commands, pulling himself to his feet. "Let him go, he's with me." Despite his diminutive stature and now-wrinkled tux, he still cuts an intimidating figure.  
  
The hands don't withdraw from Yixing's scruff, so Joonmyun lets out an annoyed huff and strides over to slap the hands away. He then reaches for Yixing's hands and entangles their fingers together, pulling the photographer to his feet with a surprising amount of hidden strength.   
  
"What's your name?" Joonmyun asks pleasantly, slipping an arm around Yixing's waist and tilting his head back to look him directly in the eye.   
  
"Z-Zhang Yixing," he answers hesitantly, leaning away from the actor's touch.   
  
"Nice to meet you, Yixing!" Joonmyun answers brightly and pulls him in closer. "I forgot to bring a date tonight... I hope you won't mind...?"  
  
Yixing's eyes are wide, but Joonmyun's expectant smile is even wider, so the photographer finds himself nodding, against his better judgment. He didn't think it was possible, but the grin Yixing receives in return is even more blinding than the ones Joonmyun had flashed before.   
  
"Thank you, Yixing," Joonmyun says, reaching over to squeeze his bicep. "You're a real lifesaver."  
  
Yixing wants to point out that Joonmyun had technically been the one to rescue him from the wrath of security, but he loses the ability to form words when Joonmyun squishes his cheek into Yixing's shoulder. He looks down at Joonmyun in alarm, but the actor just bats his eyelashes in response.   
  
Thankfully Yixing had decided to wear his own tuxedo to the red carpet because Joonmyun stops to pose for the paparazzi with a tight grip on Yixing.   
  
"You're really handsome," Joonmyun murmurs, his breath tickling Yixing's ear.   
  
He looks up at Yixing with adoration in his eyes, and the photographer can't help but smile. Joonmyun's eyes widen in astonishment at the first smile Yixing has cracked since stumbling onto the red carpet. The actor hesitantly lifts a hand and pokes Yixing's dimple. He giggles when his finger presses into the dent.   
  
Whatever Yixing had been expecting from the heir-turned-actor, this clingy, giggly little manbaby had certainly not been it. Joonmyun is cute, infuriatingly so, and Yixing can't help himself. The next time they stop for a photo op, Yixing wraps his arms around Joonmyun and presses a kiss to the back of his neck. Joonmyun shrieks and flinches away at first, but then he laughs breathlessly and reaches for Yixing's hand.   
  
A red carpet correspondent rushes over to where Joonmyun and Yixing are holding hands and smiling at each other while ignoring the symphony of shouts and shutter clicks from the other side of the velvet rope. The reporter nearly topples over her high heels as she shoves a microphone into Joonmyun's face.   
  
"The news has been spreading like wildfire," she begins excitedly. "Is it true that you picked up a paparazzo?" She addresses only Joonmyun, rudely ignoring Yixing's existence.  
  
" _Yixing_ isn't just a paparazzo," Joonmyun corrects.   
  
The reporter smiles in confusion. "So have you guys been seeing each other or...?"  
  
"Nope," Joonmyun answers pleasantly. "First time meeting today. But he sure knows how to make an entrance."  
  
She looks them up and down, surveying their intertwined hands and wrinkled tuxedos. Yixing tenses under her judgmental stare. He knows that among the media hierarchy, the paparazzi are at the very bottom. Most people see paparazzi as threats to safety and privacy, and they’re often considered stalkers. But right now, between Yixing and Joonmyun, Yixing is pretty sure that Joonmyun is the greater invader of personal space.   
  
Yixing is silently grateful when Joonmyun pulls him along, quietly muttering, "Come on, we don't have to prove anything."  
  
The movie theater is packed. Joonmyun drapes himself onto Yixing's side as soon as they take their seats, but eventually ends up crawling into his lap about halfway through the movie. Yixing doesn't question anything. He just pats Joonmyun's back every time the actor hides his face in Yixing's shoulder when he comes onscreen.   
  
"This is so embarrassing," Joonmyun mumbles into Yixing's neck during one particularly steamy scene.   
  
Yixing chuckles, partly because Joonmyun's breath is tickling his sensitive neck, but also because Joonmyun is so adorable in person despite how much swagger his character has onscreen.   
  
Despite his previous reservations, mostly because of how Yifan had been rejected in favor of Joonmyun, Yixing finds that Joonmyun is actually a good actor. A really, really good actor. There are some points in the movie when the intensity of his character's passion or fury is kind of terrifying. It's hard to reconcile the fierce man onscreen with the cuddly man in Yixing’s lap. But there is no doubt in Yixing’s mind now. Joonmyun had earned the role, regardless of his name or wealth.   
  
When the movie is over, the after party location is announced and Yixing whispers, "Thank you for tonight. I hope you enjoy the party." He tries to leave, but Joonmyun fists curl into the fabric of Yixing's tuxedo, preventing him from moving away.   
  
"Don't go," Joonmyun says, his voice low and enticing. "Come home with me tonight... Let me cook you spaghetti."  
  
Yixing sputters in response, but doesn't pull away, so Joonmyun beams and pulls him along to where his chauffeur is waiting.   
  
"Tell mother and father I'm bringing a friend home tonight," Joonmyun declares proudly, and Yixing almost chokes because Joonmyun is 23 years old and a grown-ass man.   
  
It feels surreal sitting in the limousine with Joonmyun, who is playing intently with Yixing’s fingers. The stretch limo is well-equipped, but it feels empty since there is nobody else besides Joonmyun, Yixing, and the driver. Yixing’s heart breaks a little when he thinks of how lonely Joonmyun must have been on the ride to the premiere.   
  
The Joonmyun that is quietly humming to himself as he slots his fingers through Yixing's is not the Joonmyun he would ever have anticipated. Nor would Yixing have ever expected that the stoic hero onscreen would be an adorable baby in real life. He vaguely wonders why he had ill feelings towards Joonmyun in the first place.   
  
And then Yixing's mind supplies him with memories of Yifan's voice, husky and fragile over the phone in a way that Yixing had heard only once before- when Yifan called him over a decade ago telling him that his parents had decided to split. Yixing remembers how overjoyed Yifan had been to quit his day job to accommodate his newly hectic filming schedule. And then how quietly devastated he had been when faced with the tedious task of job hunting once more. It's enough to make Yixing remember that-  
  
"I don't like you," he blurts out without even thinking.   
  
Joonmyun's eyes widen to the size and shape of saucers and Yixing wants to toss himself off a cliff because he didn't actually mean to say that out loud.   
  
"B-Baekhyun," Joonmyun calls out hesitantly. "Stop the car." He scooches away from Yixing and mumbles to his knees, "Where do you live, Yixing? We can take you home, if you want...now...or something….if you want…”  
  
He trails off at the end, and Baekhyun halts the vehicle without glancing back or changing his expression.   
  
“That…” Yixing groans in frustration because he really needs to bridge the disconnect between his brain and mouth. “That wasn’t what I meant to say. I was just...thinking about something else.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it.” Joonmyun is still quiet and avoiding eye contact.  
  
“No!” Yixing cries out in frustration, and Joonmyun flinches. “I don’t...not like you, Joonmyun.”  
  
“You don’t have to like me.”  
  
“That’s not what I mean! I…” Yixing doesn’t want to have his words betray him again so he stops talking and leans over to tilt Joonmyun's chin up and press their lips together. Joonmyun squirms and makes a few muffled noises in surprise, but Yixing begins moving his lips insistently. And then Joonmyun goes slack, parting his lips for Yixing.  
  
When Yixing pulls away, Joonmyun's eyelashes are dark and wet with tears. Maybe from being kissed breathless, maybe from something else.   
  
"Do you like me then?" Joonmyun asks quietly, his voice shaky.  
  
Yixing doesn't answer in words, just slides in closer until he's almost in Joonmyun's lap. Joonmyun closes his eyes and parts his lips again expectantly.   
  
But instead of another kiss, Joonmyun feels Yixing’s lips against the outer shell of his ear.  
  
“I like you,” Yixing whispers. “I didn’t think I would at first, but I really do.”  
  
His hands find Joonmyun’s, and they’re the perfect size for each other. Yixing is taller, but his hands are small and dainty, and they fit perfectly in Joonmyun’s.   
  
With wide eyes that don't leave Yixing's, Joonmyun calls out to Baekhyun, "You can start driving again... Just drop us off at the penthouse, thanks..."  
  
When they arrive at Joonmyun's penthouse suite, the actor is buzzing with excitement. He pushes Yixing into a sleek, black leather chair and pulls on an apron embroidered cheekily with the words "kiss the chef!"  
  
Yixing watches in amusement as Joonmyun struggles to decode the instructions on the spaghetti box and jar of ready made tomato sauce. While the spaghetti is cooking and the sauce is simmering, Joonmyun dumps the contents of his vegetable drawer onto the kitchen counter. He waves away Yixing's offers to help wash and chop the vegetables, insisting on doing everything himself.   
  
The way Joonmyun struggles to prepare the salad is stupidly inefficient and vaguely adorable, but Yixing soon notices an acrid smell diffusing through the kitchen. Joonmyun wails when he sees that the tomato sauce has burnt. He dumps the disgusting liquid down the drain with a look of utter betrayal. Then the water in the pot where the spaghetti is boiling starts overflowing, and Yixing leaps to his feet to help clean up the mess, wondering how it is possible for one person to fuck up spaghetti so badly.   
  
Joonmyun ends up making them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, insisting on giving Yixing a "home-cooked" meal. Yixing doesn't know how anybody could mess up peanut butter and jelly, but he supervises Joonmyun closely just in case.   
  
Even though they’re both wearing tuxedos, sharing a bottle of champagne in Joonmyun’s swanky penthouse apartment, Yixing feels like a kid again, giggling with Joonmyun over everything and nothing. He never would have expected that he would end up tucked into a sleeping bag with Joonmyun, gazing up at the glow in the dark stars stippled across the ceiling. In a philosophical moment, Yixing realizes that it's the arbitrary twists of fate that make life- and show business- what it is. All of his failures may have ultimately been bad luck, but stumbling into Joonmyun's life was also luck of a different kind.   
  
Yixing can't blame anyone for bad luck, so he decides to just count his blessings, however few and far between. Joonmyun's the biggest blessing he's had in awhile. 


End file.
